Brian called me to find out about getting an energy audit after his quarterly power bill in their Mosman unit had risen to over  $2,500 per quarter. I conducted a complete audit of all the power usage in the home measuring both the running power usage and the standby power usage of most items, which we then presented in a spreadsheet to show where the power was being used. I also gave Brian  recommendations for the most cost effective ways to reduce his bill by over 50% with little or no change to his lifestyle. 9 months later Brian sent me  his most recent power bill. By following most of our recommendations plus a couple of other measures he had achieved a 75% drop in power compared with the same time 12 months earlier! That's a tremendous result for the environment and his hip pocket. Well done Brian!

Did you know you can collect and store your excess solar power during the day so it’s available to use at night? It can be a great way to maximise your power savings – especially if you use most of your power at night.
 
How it works
If you are a household that currently produces excess solar power, you are probably selling it back to your energy provider at a much lower price than you pay to buy power. However, if you have a solar battery, you can store that excess power to use in the evening instead of buying it from the grid.
 
Solar battery storage technology is advancing quickly with systems becoming more accessible (in terms of price and ease of installation).
 
Solar batteries are particularly beneficial for households who generate excess solar power and have high energy usage at night.
 
Ecological Design offers independent advice on practical ways to reduce your energy usage and carbon footprint. The first step is a Home Energy Audit to discover the best options for your particular needs.
 
It all begins with a conversation so call or email John Caley from Ecological Design on 0418 262 706 or  info@ecologicaldesign.com.au

With energy prices continuing to rise each year, many households are concerned about their power usage. By installing an energy monitor in your home, you can track your energy usage - even when your appliances are in stand-by mode.
 
How it works
There are many different energy monitors available, depending on the functionality you want.
 
All monitors have a sensor installed in your power box and will display your power usage at any given moment either on a dedicated display or on your phone and other devices.
 
Energy monitors are a great diagnostic tool because they give you the information you need to take control of how you use your power. You can see how much power is used by different appliances as they are turned on and see how much standby power is being used when everything is switched off.
 
This information will give you the ability to make informed decisions about ways you can reduce your power bills without compromising your lifestyle.
 
Ecological Design offers independent advice on practical ways to reduce your energy and water usage. The first step is a Home Energy Audit to discover the best options for your particular needs.
 
It all begins with a conversation so call or email John Caley from Ecological Design on 0418 262 706 or  info@ecologicaldesign.com.au

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John Caley will beone of the invited speakers at this event about greening your home, either through retrofitting or as part of a renovation or new build.  28 September 7.15pm at the Nelson Heather Centre, Banksia Room, 5 Jacksons Rd Warriewood. Organised by permaculture northern beaches Details in the flyer below

Our 315 litre 30 evacuated tube solar hot water system produces more than enough hot water for efficient but unrestricted use by the five people in our household throughout most of the year, but last winter we had to turn on the booster for a couple of hours on several days. With the cold season approaching, I decided the evacuated tubes might benefit from a clean as they had not had one in the 5 years since installation. Climbing onto the flat corrugated steel roof where they are installed my suspicions were confirmed.  Despite recent intense torrential rain, the tubes were blotched with sooty deposits - possibly originating from the large Meleuca tree in front of the house.
Luckily cleaning the tubes was easy. I didn't want to use any chemicals because the roof is part of our rainwater system collection area.  Instead I just wiped them clean with a micro-fibre cloth labelled 'glass', rinsing it frequently  in a couple of buckets. The closest three tubes in the photo below have been cleaned. The whole operation took about 20 minutes.
No measure was made of how much improvement was gained by cleaning the tubes but after  I finished I watched with satisfaction as the controller showed the system continuously heating the circulating water by about 10 degrees as it passes through the manifold.  Hooray for showering in solar heated rainwater! 
John

TIme to get an electric bicycle

If you need to get somewhere in the city quickly, the first choice for most of us is driving our car or catching a cab. Yes, you might get there more quickly and cheaply by riding a bicycle, but you might also end up tired, stressed and dripping with sweat.

Electric bikes can give you the option of making the same (or maybe shorter via closed streets) trip as quickly as in a car and still arrive as fresh as a daisy. And then there are all the other benefits.

Saving money - They are a little more expensive than an equivalent non-electric bike but you could buy four of them and still pay less than buying a second car! The running cost is trivial - something like fifteen cents to fully charge a battery. No parking costs, registration fees, little maintenance and third party personal insurance though a group like Bicycle NSW is very cheap.

A better deal on the road - because with an electric bicycle, you start as quickly as cars and often travel at the same speed as the traffic - resulting in less issues of vehicles passing or wanting to pass you. With an electric bicycle, you can safely use the road more fully - for example cross lanes to a right hand turn lane - in a way you would never have attempted without the electric assist.

Plenty of parking - ride direct to the building entrance, lock your bike and walk right in. No need to find a shower and get changed.

And of course at the same time you are cutting greenhouse emissions, reducing road congestion  - and did I mention, it’s fun!

The moment most people realise how good an electric bicycle can be is the moment they ride one. Sydney has several good electric bike shops including Sydney Electric Bike and Glowworm Bicycles where you can try from a wide range of off the shelf options. I recommend you try one.
​John Caley

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